I would like to thank everyone for their lovely reviews and alerts. I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've posted. A combination of real and a major case of writer's block have made it difficult for me to write. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

I apologise if anyone thinks I've got the grandparents wrong. This story is au so probably not technically very correct.. just fiction...a piece of my imagination. :)

Chapter 18

Josh watched Chloe as she slept fitfully. He didn't really have a lot of choice. Her head was on his lap and her hand clutched his dirty sweatshirt. She'd kept saying she was fine, but her wide eyes and the fact she was suddenly almost mute had told him she was far from fine. Every now and then she got out her phone and stared at it as if deciding, but then her mouth would set in a determined line and she'd put it away again. He'd nudged her none too gently when she'd poked her tongue out at the old guy who'd stared at her. The rats that had scurried around the water's edge as night had fallen had totally freaked her out..but not enough that she'd give in and go home. Finally from sheer exhaustion she'd fallen asleep. Josh closed his eyes and rested but he wasn't really asleep. He'd learned to stay alert.

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Chloe's Grandma grabbed each of them in turn and pulled them into tight hug. Mattie squeezed her eyes tight shut as her turn came. Swallowing the guilt she felt at leaving these people all worried was getting harder and harder.

"Oh thank you, thank you for coming." Mary said gratefully with glassy eyes. "John is out looking. Still no sign of her."

Mattie broke into a cold sweat. She knew by the look on Mary's face that this had gone far enough. Chloe wasn't gonna be impressed, but well, she loved her grandparents really... even if she didn't want to live with them...eventually she'd forgive her. Before she'd worked enough courage to actually say something though, a truck pulled up in front of the house. When the old man stepped out alone Mary burst into tears. Mattie took a deep breath. Now or never...

"Um...I..." Mac was busy comforting Mary as was John but Harm zeroed in on Mattie's face. She was white and her eyes were wide and fearful like she was about to face a judge and jury...close enough...

"You know something?" Harm asked incredulously. All eyes suddenly turned to the guilt ridden teenager. Unable to take the stress any longer she burst into tears.

"I...I...it wasn't supposed to go this far..." she sobbed. "She's ok..well she was ok last time I talked to her." Mac stalked up to her, anger and fear making her heart almost thump through her chest. The only thing that saved Mattie from a blast was Harm getting to her first. He yanked her to stand directly in front of him, when he spoke his tone was low. Mac was shocked. She was worried and angry and hurt. She couldn't believe that Mattie could have watched them all suffer and said nothing.

"Start talking Mattie." Harm said. She did.

"She's in the city...she..." She looked at the grandparents who were desperate for some kind of...any kind of information. How could she just blurt out the reason in front of them. "She wanted to see if you'd come and look for her." she said to Harm. It wasn't a lie. It was Harm's attention she wanted.

"I don't understand." John said. "Is that what all her acting out has been about?"

Mattie shrugged. "Um.." She was saved...kind of... when Harm slapped her bottom hard. He could tell she was hedging and balancing what she was saying.

"Exactly where is she?" he said. His look brooked absolutely no argument and Mattie handed him her phone so he could read the directions Mattie had sent her earlier.

"I'm sorry...I promised...I couldn't break a promise..." she said softly.

"No? Well here's a promise..." Harms said firmly. "I'm gonna go get Chloe and tomorrow you two are BOTH gonna get a spanking you will never forget. She wanted my attention...well now she has it." He leaned in closely. "And so do you." He kissed Mac and then asked John if he could have a word.

"I hope I didn't step on your toes there." he said.

"No son." John said tiredly. "I'm grateful. Martha and I both are. We love Chloe, but she seems to need more than we can give her right now...take the truck. Go find our girl.''

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Chloe jolted awake as something tickled her leg.

"Ow..ow..ow!" she screeched as she leapt up and dropped her jeans to her ankles. Josh leapt to his feet beside her.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked as he tried to tug her jeans back into place.

"Something's on me." she yelped.

"Shhh..." Josh said. Trying not to wake any of the others. Suddenly he spied the uninvited guest. He swiped at it, sending it flying onto the ground and it darted off looking for a quieter place to investigate. Josh stood in front of her shielding her from any onlookers, although most were just grumpy that their sleep had been disturbed. Who caused such a fuss at a roach? Chloe pulled her pants back up and brushed a tear from her face with annoyance. "Geez...do ya have to be such a girl?"

"Sorry." she said begrudgingly. "It scared me."

"Uhhuh." Josh said. "Not too many roaches normally in your soft warm bed I bet..." Chloe stuck her tongue out but once again settled next to Josh like a second skin.

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Mattie sat on the edge of her bed sniffling. Everyone was gonna hate her. Mac, Harm and the grandparents for not telling sooner and Chloe because she did. She looked up as the door creaked open. The disappointment on Mac's face made her turn and fling herself face down on the bed.

Mac lay down beside her and wrapped her in a hug.

"I'm sooo sorry Mac." Mattie wept. "I...didn't know what to do."

"Yes you did." Mac said. "You just should have done it as soon as you knew what she'd done."

"Do you hate me?" Mac tapped the teenagers bottom.

"Don't ever think that." she said. "I'm not happy with your choices...Chloe's either, but I love you both and no amount of mistakes will change that." Mattie cried harder but allowed herself to sink into Mac's embrace. Mac felt better. She trusted Harm to bring Chloe back safely.

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Harm pulled alongside the park just as the sun was peaking above the horizon. Josh and Chloe were just stretching out the result of a cramped up sleep in the cool night air when she caught sight of her grandfather's truck. Her heart sank. Harm hadn't come...it was her grandfather. It leapt into action though and started thumping almost as fast as the butterflies in her tummy as Harm jumped out of the truck and started jogging towards the group of drifters. Josh squinted...it couldn't be...

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As Harm started walking towards the bridge where the some activity was, he spotted Chloe...he breathed a sigh of relief before breaking into a jog. Instinct kicked in and Chloe was about to run but Harm was too fast and he grabbed her arm before she had a chance.

"Don't you dare." he said.

"Oh Harm hi!" she said feigning innocence.

Josh spun around making sure his back was to the man who he once imagined would come for him, his eyes narrowed in disgust. So Harm had become the knight in shining armour to this kid who already had people that wanted her...figured.

"Do you know how unsafe this was...?" he demanded. It was all he could do to stop himself from turning her over his knee there and then. "Your grandparents and Mac were beside them selves."

"That why your here?" Harm got what she meant.

"That and the fact that I made you a promise...I said I was going to make sure you minded and I meant it." he said. "But doing this to get attention was over the top."

"I was safe." she said. "And Josh was looking out for me. Josh rolled his eyes. Why the hell had he told her his real name.

"Well thank you Josh." he said. He turned the boy gently and then his eyes widened in shock. "JOSH? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Vacationing by the sea side Harmon Rabb...what's it look like?"

"Where's your Mom? She must be worried sick." he said. Chloe felt like she was watching a game of tennis as her eyes bounced from one face to the other.

"You two know each other?" she asked.

"He used to date my Mom. After my Dad died. My Dad was his friend." Josh said, not bothering with Harm's question.

"WHERE...is...she?" Harm repeated.

"Like you care." Josh said.

"I did care... I still care.." Harm said "Where is she?"

"She's dead." Harm was so taken aback that the anger washed right out of him.

"I'm sorry son."

"I'm not your son. I'm not your anything and I'm not your worry. Why don't you just take your princess here back to where she belongs and let me get on with my own life."

Wow, Harm thought. This kid was something else. He was nothing like the sweet seven year old that he'd been last time he'd seen him...Harm looked around him and at Josh's dirty clothes and hair. It couldn't be.

"You live here?" he asked. His voice cracking with emotion.

"I can look after myself."

"You can't be more than thirteen years old."

"I'm nearly fourteen. I've managed by myself for years.."

"Well you won't be managing by yourself anymore." Chloe was still looking from one to the other. For once she was truly speechless.

"Yeah right...you'll drag me into court and make sure that I end up in some 'good' foster home..."

"Don't tell me what I'll do." Harm said. He needed to talk to Mac before he made the promise that he wanted to...that he had to. "For now...you're gonna come with me...I'm NOT leaving you here on the streets." Josh sighed.

"Just go away and leave me alone."

"Not happening." Harm grabbed one arm of each kid and started towards the truck.

"Fuck OFF!" Josh said as he tried to yank his arm away.

"Nice mouth..." Chloe stifled a giggle. She was in enough trouble as it was. Josh pulled his leg back and kicked out at Harm but luckily missed.

"You're lucky you missed." Harm said. "And watch your mouth."

"Make me." Josh said.

"Oh intend to." Harm said.

As he pulled onto the road he looked at the two rebellious teens beside him. Oh they were gonna have their work cut out with this pair, not to mention Mattie. He clicked the child proof lock to make sure they didn't bail the first chance they got.

TBC